


Searching for a Real Love

by IprotectKennyP (dauntperplexity)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Drinking, Drunk Jack Zimmermann, Drunk Kent Parson, High Jack Zimmermann, M/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes, reconnecting, special brownies, wedding shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 21:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19472458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dauntperplexity/pseuds/IprotectKennyP
Summary: Kent held onto the grapes with one hand and climbed up the ladder. It was not as easy as he thought it would be. After he ungracefully rolled in, he looked up and saw that he wasn't alone.He recognized those shoulders anywhere.





	Searching for a Real Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inlovewiththeirlove (fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers/gifts).



> I've never been a pinch hitter before. All mistakes are my own and I promise to clean them up whenever I get some fresh eyes on it.
> 
> I really do enjoy writing these two together. Although I didn't actually listen to Super Rich Kids, I did read the lyrics and was a bit inspired. I hope you enjoy this fic!

"I didn't know you still talked to Lambsy." The last person at their table had just left. This was the first time in a long time that he had been left alone with Jack. Well, at least as alone as they could be as there was a huge party taking place a few feet away from them.

"I didn't. At least, not for a long time," Jack replied. "But once I was in the league, I got into contact with a bunch of the guys.”

“Really?” That didn’t seem like Jack. He didn’t seem like the person to go out and start talking to their former teammates after so many years.

Jack simply shrugged. “It's hard to ignore them when they're on the ice with you."

Kent couldn’t say anything or almost two minutes. He could only stare at Jack, unable to comprehend what he had just said. "Wow. You really just said that."

"What?"

Kent shook his head and sighed. Of course he didn’t notice. "Nothing," he said softly. He finished the champagne that was set down in front of him and stood up. "Well. I should go mingle.” He couldn’t sit with Jack any longer. “It's easier to talk to these guys when there isn't a chance of them checking me."

"There is still a chance of that," Jack replied. He knew hockey players. They could get rowdy. Especially when there were many gathered together. And alcohol involved. It didn't matter that they were at a wedding.

"Yeah. Well. I'll make sure to behave."

Kent looked around to see which group of guys he could insert himself into the conversation. While looking around, he saw that there was a treehouse in Lambsy’s backyard. It looked sturdy enough for an adult to hang out in it. And, most importantly, it looked big enough that he could hide in it for the rest of the night until Jack decided to leave.

For now, Kent was going to do what he told Jack he was going to do. He was going to mingle. And he did.

For an hour and a half, he caught up with the guys he won the Memer with Rimouski. While he did see most of them on the ice, this was the first time he was able to ask them about what happened in their lives since then.

He did his best to make sure they didn't talk about him. He didn't want to hear about him and what he'd been doing in the NHL. He was there. He knew. He hated all the attention being put on him. Hockey was a team sport after all.

When everyone started dancing, Kent looked around, trying to see if Jack would end up on the dance floor. He was surprised when he couldn't find him.

Maybe he had left, not that he cared. He saw every dancing and saw that he wasn’t really in the mood to dance yet. But he did want to check out the treehouse. He walked over to the food table, grabbed three bunches of grapes, then walked to it. 

He held onto the grapes with one hand and climbed up the ladder. It was not as easy as he thought it would be. After he ungracefully rolled in, he looked up and saw that he wasn't alone.

He recognized those shoulders anywhere.

"What are you doing here?"he asked as he crawled his way over to the porch looking area where Jack was sitting.

"I have no idea. Barbie gave me brownies. I don't think they were regular brownies. Next thing I knew, I was here." Jack reached back and took a swig from one of the wine bottles that were sitting next to him.

Kent couldn’t help but laugh. "Yeah. They definitely weren't regular brownies," he said. "I don't think Barbie knows how to make regular brownies." He patted Jack on the arm. "What you drinking?"

Jack picked up the bottle, squinted to read it, then shrugged. "I don't know. I just snagged them. I don't think anyone's gonna miss them."

Kent grabbed the bottle from Jack to read it. The lighting in the treehouse was atrocious. "This looks expensive." He held it up to the nearest light to try and read the label. "How do you even say this? It has to be made up."

Jack snatched the bottle back. "It's French."

"Doesn't mean I know how to read, much less pronounce it, Jack."

"Zimms," Jack said, pointing at Kent with the bottle. "You call me Zimms."

"Do I now?"

"You did."

Kent blushed. "I did." He looked at Jack and bit back a smile. He looked so relaxed. "You think Barbie still has a brownie or two I could have?"

Jack shook his head. "Today is my cheat day. I cheated. And ate many."

"You don't eat pies all day every day?"

"I haven't had a pie in like a year and a half,” Jack said seriously.

Kent looked at Jack with wide eyes. He wanted to ask about it, but he stopped himself. It wasn't his place to ask about Jack's life. Not anymore. "Well, pie is overrated, right?"

"Yeah," Jack said, his voice a little sadder than it was a few seconds ago. He took a sip, shook his head, then seemed to shake the sadness off. "But, it's fine. It was a long time ago. I'm good." He finally looked over at Kent. "So, what did you bring up here?"

Kent leaned back to show Jack all the grapes he had. "I stole them."

"It's not stealing, Kent," he said. "They're there for us to eat."

"Kenny," Kent said softly. "You... you call me Kenny."

Jack smiled softly. "Yeah. I guess I do." He cleared his throat, then took another sip of wine. "So, why did you take grapes?"

"It seemed the easiest thing to hold. I couldn't steal like... the cupcakes."

"You've done it before," Jack said.

"They had funfetti frosting! And they were delicious," Kent countered. "And I didn't have to climb a treehouse after that."

"You ate so many of those damn cupcakes," Jack said with a laugh. He took another sip of wine before handing the bottle to Kent.

Kent took a sip and set it down. He grabbed three grapes, popped two in his mouth, then looked over the balcony to find Barbie. Then he threw a grape at him. He ducked to hide when the grape hit its target. He laughed when he saw Barbie looking around for what hit him. He spun around twice before going back to dancing.

Jack stared at Kent with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?"

"What? You think I was actually gonna eat all of these grapes?" Kent asked, plucking off a few more grapes.

"Yes," Jack said. "That's what grapes are for."

"Says the guy drinking grapes," he said gesturing toward the wine bottle near him.

"This is different."

Kent rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the party. He saw Ducky holding a cup and smirked. He took aim at the cup and threw a grape. It landed a few feet short, just on the grass. He frowned and launched two more. Both of those were misses.

Jack grabbed the last grape from Kent and tossed it, landing directly in the cup. He ducked when Ducky started looking around. Jack had to bite his fist to keep from laughing too loud.

This time, Kent let his smirk be seen. "Yeah. Okay," he said. He ripped off a handful of grapes and handed half of them to Jack. He watched Jack eat a few before trying to aim for more ex-teammates and cups and other open objects.

A more sober crowd would've figured out what was happening a lot sooner. It just showed how drunk everyone was that they just kept dancing, even after they got pegged in the face by falling grapes.

When they had depleted their grape supply, they went to drinking the wine Jack had stolen.

Kent took a bottle and sipped on it, wincing as it went down. "Damn. Wine is so gross," he said.

"But it is expensive," Jack said. He took a sip from the new bottle since they had finished the first one together. "We're doing Lambsy a favor. If not, he has to drink all this wine by himself."

"I don't think he'd mind," Kent said. He sighed and looked at Lambsy and his new wife slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor. "Look at him. He looks so happy." He smiled at the couple.

"I didn't realize he was still with Mina after all this time," Jack said. "I remember when he wasn't playing or practicing, he was always on his phone talking to her."

"There was a few years that they weren't together," Kent said. "They broke up when he made it to the show. She was here. Lambsy was in California. It was hard."

"But then ended up finding their way back," Jack said.

"Yeah," Kent said. "You know. If it's meant to be, there is nothing anyone can do to stop it."

Jack glanced over at Kent who was looking at the newlyweds. "I guess not," he said before looking back over at Lambsy and his wife. He took a long sip of wine before setting the bottle down.

"Don't worry, Zimms," Kent said. He leaned over and nudged him gently. "You'll get this one day. And, if I'm lucky enough to be invited to the wedding, I'll be on the roof drinking wine and throwing grapes at your face."

"What if I don't have grapes?"

"I'll find something to throw," Kent said.

"Of course you will," Jack said rolling his eyes. But he knew it was true. Given the chance, Kent would find a way to make this come true. There was a chance that Kent would be throwing cupcakes on his wedding.

Oddly enough, Jack couldn't imagine not being up on the roof with him. Maybe not throwing grapes at people, but just the two of them, sitting together, watching a party happen around them.

Kent looked over at saw Jack staring contemplatively at the couple. "You wanna throw a cork at them?" They had three at their disposal.

"No," Jack said softly. "Let them have this."

"Boooooo," Kent said.

"We can smash a cupcake in his face later," Jack said.

"You do realize that it is a lot worse, right?"

Jack only shrugged. "Call it revenge for denying me my hatty in February."

"You are a savage," Kent said. He picked up the bottle and took a long sip from it too. "Count me in. I'll distract Mina. Make sure you get the cupcakes with the purple frosting." He took another sip.

Jack did the same. They took about half an hour to get the courage to pull off the prank they were planning. Which was another way for them to say that they had to finish their wine.

Once they finished their wine, they made their move.

Which was probably one of the harder moves they had to make.

Because Kent was wine drunk. And Jack was wine drunk and high.

"I'll go first," Jack said. "Because that way it'll be less suspicious." He moved the short distance to the ladder.

"How is that less suspicious?" he stage whispered as Jack was already trying to get down the ladder. "Jack. Jack!"

Kent waited about for about two songs before he started heading down the ladder. He was holding onto the ladder rungs with a death grip. Although he was sure he knew how ladders worked, the less than twenty steps it took to get from the treehouse to the ground seemed to be a hundred feet high.

He made a mental note to never, ever get into a treehouse sober and try to come down drunk ever again.

He looked down and saw that he was close. Just a few more steps and he would be safely on the ground.

Of course, Drunk Kent ruined it by slipping about four rungs up.

Which meant that he fell about two feet.

He looked around, hoping that no one saw him. But there was one person.

"You waiting at the bottom of the treehouse for me isn't not suspicious, Zimms," Kent said.

"I was waiting?"

Kent rolled his eyes and he made his way to his feet. He brushed the grass off of his pants. "Just go get the cupcakes. I'm gonna go talk to Mina."

Jack nodded, giving Kent a mock salute, then slowly, and not unsuspiciously, made his way to the dessert table.

Kent headed to the dancefloor and tapped Lambsy on the shoulder. "Can I cut in?"

"Hells yeah, you can, Parse!" Lambsy broke away from his wife and hugged him. "Meen. Meen... You gotta dance with Parse."

"Oh, I gotta?" she said.

"I mean. No, you don't gotta. But, Parser was like the biggest cheerleader of us when I finally asked you out again. He was like... pompoms and everything."

"You're drunk," Kent and Mina said.

"I am. On the champagne," he said, not even trying to deny it. "But Parse was like the worst you could say was no. And even though that would've broken my heart, I had to try, you know? So I did. And now we're married," he said, giddy. "I'm so lucky. I love you a lot." He leaned over and kissed Mina on the lips before kissing Kent on his cheek. "I need another champagne!" Lambsy left to find another flute or two he could drain.

Kent smiled and opened up his arms. "Hey, Mina.”

Mina stepped forward and hugged him tight. He then lifted her arms up, linking her fingers behind Kent's neck. "Hey, Kent. Thanks for coming."

"I had to make sure that Lambsy actually remembered how to talk. He’s so in love with you and I was nervous that when he saw you in this gorgeous dress he'd forget how words worked and we'd probably still be standing in the church because he forgot how to say 'I do'," he said, swaying, but not to the beat.

"Well, if that's true, I'm glad you made it," she said.

"He was so sad when you guys broke up,” Kent said. “You weren't there, but when he was with us in Rimouski, he wanted to just talk to you instead of hang out with the guys. And, if not, he was always itching to talk to you. He was kinda clingy.”

"Well, I was too," Mina said. "You know. First love and all that. I loved him so much."

"Still do?" he asked.

"Obviously," she said, showing him her ring. "I always knew he was it for me, you know?"

"I can't really say that I do." Which was a damn lie. "But I believe you," he said as they continued to dance.

"Smart," Mina said. She grabbed Kent's hand and lifted it so that she could be twirled. She then continued dancing with him. "So," she said. "How was the treehouse?"

Kent's eyes widened and he felt his alcohol blush deepen. "Wh-what treehouse?"

Mina raised her eyebrows at him. "Really, Kent? What treehouse?" She spun them around so that Kent could look directly at it. "The treehouse that you and Jack were launching grapes from?"

"We... we weren't launching them. Just... gently tossing."

"Uh huh," she said. "I'd be mad, but I'm just grateful you didn't throw them at me or Lambsy."

"Never," Kent said.

"So," she said. "You and Jack are friends again?"

"Again?"

"Lambsy talked about you guys probably the way you talked about us," Mina said. She twirled again and kept dancing.

"We weren't." Kent blushed. “Not like you." He had no idea how much Lambsy told her.

"Hey," Mina said when she could see Kent's thoughts running away from him. "He only told me after you told him he could. But he told me a lot. And then we kinda put a lot of it together when Jack kissed that boy on center ice. I hope that's okay."

Kent shrugged, but then he nodded to tell her it was okay."I'm not sure what he could've told you. Jack and me. We weren't really anything."

"Kent," Mina said patiently.

"You know. You don't have to say 'we' when it was mostly you who figured it out." It was a cheap subject, but one that he needed.

"I married that man. We are a team," Mina said.

"Lambsy is one lucky dude," Kent said with a laugh.

"He thinks so," Mina said. "I think we're both lucky."

"Don't ever tell him that," Kent said.

Mina laughed. "I won't." She spun them around so that Kent could look at Jack. "So. You gonna tell Jack anything fun tonight?"

"I don't think so," Kent said as he watched Jack pick up two cupcakes. Both of them were covered in purple frosting like Kent had suggested. He laughed when Jack made eye contact with him, held them both up, and shook them to show the plan was in motion. Kent turned him and Mina so that they could both watch Jack as he approached Lambsy. "So. This is my version of a warning. Please don't get mad."

The two of them looked over and saw Jack holding a cupcake out to Lambsy. As soon as Lambsy reached to grab it, Jack lifted it up and smashed it in his face.

"Jack!" Lambsy yelled as he wiped the cupcake from his face only to have Jack smash a second one take its place.

Kent watched as Lambsy wiped the frosting and cake from his eyes and began to chase Jack around the back yard. He was very impressed with how gracefully Jack was dodging people and putting enough space between him and Lambsy.

He then looked to Mina. "I'm sorry. He’s—"

"Don't apologize," Mina interrupted. "It serves him right for smashing cake in my face earlier and not letting me do the same." She started laughing as Lambsy grabbed a cupcake and threw it in Jack's direction. "Go get him, baby!" she yelled. She gave a thumbs up to his husband and smiled when Lambsy gave one back. "He isn't gonna catch him."

"He might," Kent said, laughing as Jack picked up the cupcake that had landed a few feet away from him and chucked it back at Lambsy. He missed this time and hit Barbie in the shoulder.

"Kenny! Help!" Jack yelled when the two of them started ganging up on him.

"You're doing great, Zimms," Kent said. "You got this!"

Mina smiled and grabbed Kent's hand and led him off the dance floor. "You should kiss him," she said softly. "Tonight."

And here Kent thought that they were done talkng about Jack. "Mina. I can't."

"Why not? He couldn't take his eyes off you when we were dancing together. And I can tell that you want to."

"Doesn't matter what I want," Kent said. When it came to Jack, it never did. "I don't know if Jack's ready to jump into a relationship. And even if he is, I don't know if he'd ever jump into one with me."

Mina squeezed Kent’s hand. "What are you afraid of Kent?"

He was afraid of so, so many things. He couldn’t even begin to start listing them. "Well. He's drunk and high. I'm drunk. It just screams bad idea."

"Maybe," Mina said. "But you can ask. The worst he could say is no."

Kent couldn't help but laugh. Of course that’s what she was going to say to him as a pep talk. "I see what you did there."

"Hey, it worked once. It might work again."

Kent didn’t want to hope. He looked up in time to see Lambsy launch a cupcake at Barbie. Apparently in the minute they'd gotten off the dancefloor, Lambsy had turned on his supposed ally. Jack was off to the side just laughing.

"I should get Jack out of the line of fire," Kent said.

"And I should go save my husband."

"Good luck with that."

"You too. I'll tell Lambsy to text you. We'll have brunch tomorrow or something."

"Sounds good."

Mina kissed Kent on his cheek before parting and heading in the direction of her husband.

Kent headed straight to Jack. He looked him over and saw that he didn't get an ounce of cake or frosting on him. It was impressive. "I should call you an Uber," he said. "I think we had too much fun tonight."

Jack threw his arm around Kent. "Use my phone," he said handing it to Kent. "You're coming too, right?"

"Where am I coming?"

Jack held a finger up to his own lips for a moment before dropping it. "I will not tell a dirty joke," he said. "But, just because we're not here, doesn't mean the fun has to end tonight."

Kent sighed. He hadn't seen Jack this messy since the Q. "I'll come with you. If only to make sure you're taken care of."

"I'm fine, Kenny," he said. "Better than I've been in a year and a half."

It made Kent a little sad to think about Jack being sad all this time. "Well. We'll take that as a win today, then," he said.

"Winning is good."

"Especially with you."

Kent’s cheeks warmed at that. He got Jack's hotel from his email then called the Uber to come get them. He'd call his own once Jack was asleep in his hotel room.

They said their goodbyes to the newlyweds before heading to the front yard to sit and wait for the Uber. They didn't talk the entire time. Fifteen minutes later, their Uber arrived. Jack got into the car first and Kent followed. The two of them sat in silence for the twenty-two minute car ride.

Once they got to the hotel, Kent followed Jack as he made his way through the lobby, to the elevator, and up to his suite.

Jack had already undone his tie and cufflinks by the time they made their way inside. Jack plopped on his huge king sized bed after kicking off his shoes. He looked over at Kent. "You staying?"

"It looks like you're ready to sleep."

"I might," Jack said. "I might not. Depends."

"On."

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Kent sighed and leaned against the nearest wall. If they were just going to have one word conversations, he was heading out. But, like Mina said, he had to at least try something. "We can't do this right now, Jack."

"Zimms."

"No. Right now, you're Jack. Because, if you’re Zimms then—"

"Then what?"

Kent dragged his hand down his face. "Nothing."

"That's a lie."

"Maybe."

Jack sat up and looked at Kent. "Kenny."

"Fine," Kent said, impatient. He knew that Jack wouldn't let him go. And he knew that he'd tell Jack the truth if he kept pressing. He wanted to be able to talk about these things on his own terms. He took in a deep breath. "I want to kiss you, okay? But I blame Mina for putting it in my head because I haven't wanted that for a long time. But I can't kiss you because you're not sober and I'm not sober, so I won't make a move until we're both sober, but I don't know that I'd actually make a move if I wasn't sober. But if you tried to kiss me, right now, I'm sober enough to know that I wouldn't stop you." He sucked in another deep breath because he was sure he had said that in one long exhale.

Jack could only stare. And blink slowly. "That's... a lot."

"No kidding," he said. As exhausting as that spiel was, he was glad he got all of that out in the open. And now, he had to get out. "I should head out, though. I wanted to make sure you got back to your room safely, and you are in your room and safe. I'll see you on the ice, Jack."

Jack stood up quickly and rushed to block the door before Kent could get to it. "Wait."

"Jack," Kent said. There was no way around him.

"'I'm sober enough too," Jack said. "I mean. I'm not. But I know that I do want to kiss you. But I won't until the weed or the alcohol or both wear off."

Kent stood frozen in his spot. "Really. You really want that."

"Yeah," Jack said. "I'm pretty sure I have for some time. It just... took me a few years to get there."

"Zimms," Kent said softly. "We can't do this. Not when we're both... like this."

"I know," Jack said. "I get it. I do. But, for right now, you should stay. That way, we can talk. And, maybe kiss."

"Maybe."

Jack nodded to agree. If that was all that Kent was giving to him, he’d take it. "But, I really, really wanna kiss you right now, just so you know. Like, your body issue does not do you justice."

Kent let out a laugh and blushed. "You actually own a copy of that?"

"Yeah. Of course I do," Jack said. "Not that it matters. I've seen you actually naked. Though, not recently."

"Obviously."

"Obviously," Jack said. He licked his lips as he stepped forward. "Please stay. Because you look gorgeous in that suit, but I want nothing more than to get you out of it."

Kent could not stop himself from laughing. "Fuck, Zimms," he said softly. He was definitely turned on by this Jack who was confident and sexy. "Yeah. Okay. I'll stay." He was curious to see what else Jack had up his sleeves.

"Awesome," he said. He took Kent's hand and led him to the bed. He waited for Kent to kick his shoes off and remove his jacket before pushing him onto it. He climbed in right after and pulled Kent up the bed with him. Then he moved to lie down, pulling Kent close to cuddle with him.

"You always were a cuddler whenever we ate Barbie's brownies," he said.

"I was also a really good kisser too," Jack said.

"I never said that," Kent said.

"Your moans did. And the little Kent between your legs."

"Oh my god," Kent said. "I can't believe you just said that."

Jack moved his leg to press against Kent's cock that was trapped in his pants. "I think he's telling me something again." He reached up and brushed his fingers through Kent's cowlick. "I've missed doing that."

Kent blushed, leaning into the touch as Jack's fingers ran through his hair over and over. "It's missed you too."

"I'm gonna kiss you now, okay?"

Kent blinked a few times. He was sober. He wanted this. And Jack seemed like he knew what he wanted too. They could do this. And talk about it tomorrow. "One kiss," he said. "Just one."

Jack smirked. "Yeah. Okay," he said as though he was sure it wouldn't just be one kiss.

Jack was right.


End file.
